Concrete

Concrete: A Highly Sustainable Building Material

Published

10 years ago

November 30, 2016

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Concrete as a material can be viewed in different ways. Here a builder and developer explains how versitle the material is and its superiority.

With the term ?concrete jungle? having become to popular and widely used, it is easy to overlook that this building material has been around for so long for very good reasons. Also, that it has some excellent attributes which make it very important in today?s context.

Yes, it is easy to produce and use, but the fact is that concrete is an eminently environmentally friendly building material during the entire span of its life cycle, beginning from its production as a raw material right until it is demolished. This renders it the perfect and obvious building option for the construction of sustainable homes.

The cement utilized in concrete is sourced from limestone, which is an abundantly available mineral that will literally never deplete. However, one can also manufacture concrete from materials such as slag cement and fly ash, both of which are generated by industries like steel mills and power plants as waste byproducts. From the point of recycling of existing resources, concrete is therefore a real boon to the planet.

Concrete is also highly durable, and is used in erecting buildings which are not subject to rust, do not burn or otherwise degrade. In fact, buildings built with concrete have twice or even thrice the life- span of buildings erected with many other construction material. The life-spans for concrete building products can be double or triple those of other common building materials.

What is equally important from a sustainability perspective is that the use of concrete in forming the foundation, floors and walls of a building renders it extremely energy-efficient. One of the benefits of this building material is its ability to absorb and retain heat. In other words, people who live in homes built of concrete save significantly on both cooling and heating bills. In a concrete building, one can install air conditioners of lower capacity, resulting in significant electricity savings.

Also, concrete reduces the incidence of processes that result in urban heat islands. When concrete, which is inherently light in colour, is used to build pavements and roofs, the end result is that less heat is absorbed and more incoming solar radiation is deflected. Finally, concrete as a building material results in the least waste of raw building materials, as it can be manufactured and used in the actual quantities required to build a building or other project. Once a building or structure built of concrete has completed its life-cycle or fulfilled the purpose for which it was erected, the concrete can be recycled into aggregate which can then be used to lay concrete pavements or provide an underlying base for roads.

Authored by Kishor Pate, Chairman & Managing Director of Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd., a real estate development firm in pune.

Concrete

JSW Cement Commissions 1 MTPA Unit in Rajasthan

Rajasthan grinding capacity rises to 3.50 MTPA after commissioning

Published

1 day ago

October 9, 2026

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JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 MTPA cement grinding unit in Nagaur, Rajasthan, taking the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.1 MTPA. The commissioning was announced on Tuesday, October 6.

The company said the new unit had increased the total cement grinding capacity at its Rajasthan plant to 3.50 MTPA. The expansion adds to JSW Cement’s production infrastructure as it continues to build capacity across its operating network.

The company’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including capacity at its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA. Clinker is an intermediate material used in cement production, and its availability supports the company’s grinding operations.

JSW Cement is also pursuing a proposed merger of its listed subsidiary Shiva Cement with the company. The scheme, approved by the boards of the respective companies, involves issuing five fully paid-up JSW Cement equity shares for every 41 shares held by Shiva Cement shareholders other than JSW Cement.

The arrangement remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. JSW Cement currently holds 66.23 per cent of Shiva Cement’s paid-up equity share capital, and the shares held by JSW Cement in the subsidiary will be cancelled under the proposal without any issue of JSW Cement shares against that holding.

The scheme has an appointed date of April 1, 2026, and the company has indicated that completion could take 12 to 14 months, depending on the receipt of approvals. These include clearances from stock exchanges, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the National Company Law Tribunal and other applicable authorities, along with approvals from shareholders and creditors where required. JSW Cement shares closed at Rs. 113.15 on the BSE, up Rs. 2.05, or 1.85 per cent.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit in Rajasthan

The Nagaur expansion takes JSW Cement’s total grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

Published

2 days ago

October 8, 2026

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JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) cement grinding unit at its Nagaur Integrated Plant in Rajasthan. The commissioning takes the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

JSW Cement’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, now stands at 9.74 MTPA.

The company began operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and a 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the latest expansion, the plant’s total grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA.

The additional capacity will cater to cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a combination of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2026, JSW Cement also commissioned an Alternate Fuel Handling System and a Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) at the Nagaur plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said the additional grinding capacity was a strategic priority for the company’s expansion in North India. He added that the Alternate Fuel Handling System and WHRS were expected to reduce production costs.